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AFP President: After hearing Enzi speak, it’s clear ‘he’s not going to support the Gang of Six effort.’

Earlier today, ThinkProgress noted that Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) told an Americans for Prosperity (AFP) rally this week that he was “pretty sure” health care reform was “going to fail.” Greg Sargent spoke to AFP President Tim Phillips, who was standing next to Enzi when he spoke at the rally, and he says he believes Enzi has now ruled out supporting whatever compromise the “Gang of Six” reaches:

That’s not all. AFP president Tim Phillips, who was standing next to Enzi and listened to his whole talk, tells me he left with little doubt that Enzi had declared his blanket opposition to the Gang of Six proposal.

Though the AFP event was about cap and trade, it seems noteworthy that a GOP Senator who’s supposed to be negotiating a health care compromise appeared at an event hosted by an ardent anti-reform group — and told them reform is likely to fail.

“Standing next to him as he spoke, it was pretty clear that he’s not going to support the Gang of Six effort,” Phillips said. “I was certainly encouraged.”

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As Sargent points out, it’s “noteworthy” that someone supposedly negotiating a bipartisan compromise “appeared at an event hosted by an ardent anti-reform group — and told them reform is likely fail.” AFP has organized a series of anti-health care reform town halls around the country, including one where a Democratic lawmaker was hung in effigy. The organization has also funded television ads attackingreform.